It didn’t take long for the Steelers’ first-team offensive line to raise eyebrows.
Pittsburgh’s lopsided home win over the Green Bay Packers was the kind of result that looks clean on the scoreboard. The tape, at least in one important spot, told a different story. In a tiny sample, the line in front of Mason Rudolph did not hold up nearly well enough.
Rudolph played two series and was sacked twice. The pocket wasn’t clean, the pressure kept coming, and the biggest problem appeared to come from the same area again and again.
Troy Fautanu and Dylan Cook were the two linemen who stood out for the wrong reasons. Fautanu played left tackle in college, but lined up at right tackle for the Steelers during the 2025 season.
Cook, meanwhile, had been solid at left tackle in limited action. That’s what makes the setup feel so awkward: the easy answer might be to leave a good thing alone.
Instead, the Steelers appear to have created a possible problem with no simple fix.
The concern is less about one preseason outing than about what happens if the issue sticks. Switching sides on the offensive line is no small thing, and the jump from college to the NFL only makes the challenge harder. If Fautanu and Cook don’t settle in, the whole thing gets a lot messier.
James Campen is the man tasked with sorting it out. The new offensive line coach arrives with 21 years of experience, and the hope is that he can clean up whatever went wrong. But if he can’t, Pittsburgh could be looking at a real dilemma.
If the protection keeps breaking down, Aaron Rodgers may be left to scramble more than anyone wants. And if that turns into a pattern, the Steelers would have to decide whether to keep the current setup, flip Fautanu and Cook, or try something else entirely.
That’s why this matters. Offensive line stability is not optional. It’s the kind of thing that quietly determines whether a season feels smooth or constantly on edge.
For now, the Steelers have time. But after one game, the warning light is already on.
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